Written Answers

Tuesday 4 April 2000

Scottish Executive

Access to Information

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information were handled in the period 1 July to 31 December 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: In the first six months of the operation of the Code a total of 29 formal Code requests were dealt with. 10 requests were categorised as formal because information was refused. Of the 29 formal requests, the target time of 20 days for public bodies to respond was met on 26 occasions, and charges were levied for the provision of information in two.

  It should be emphasised that all requests for information are considered under the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information, whether or not the applicant refers to the Code. For monitoring purposes, however, "formal" Code requests are defined as only those:

  which specifically mention the Code; or

  for which a charge is levied; or

  for which information is refused under one or more of the Code exemptions.

  The total number of 29 formal requests should therefore be considered alongside the estimated overall volume of correspondence handled by the Scottish Executive and other public bodies in the same six month period, which was in excess of 100,000 items. I also understand that, during the period 1 July to 31 December 1999, no complaints under the Code were received by the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

Civil Servants

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2977 by Mr Jack McConnell on 17 December 1999, how many of the civil servants employed within the Health Department are employed in a research capacity.

Mr Jack McConnell: As I indicated in reply to question S1W-2058, two members of staff are employed in such a capacity. In addition, there are some 20 or so staff in the Scottish Executive Health Department’s Chief Scientist Office with responsibility for encouraging and supporting research to improve the health of the people of Scotland and the services provided by the National Health Service.

Climate Change Levy

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates the implementation of the Climate Change Levy (CCL) will have on employment in Scotland in each of the next five years and whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government requesting that introduction of the CCL be delayed until such time as it can be implemented in a way which minimises the impact on jobs.

Henry McLeish: As a tax measure, the Climate Change Levy is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The levy is to be revenue neutral and is not expected to have an unfavourable overall impact on employment.

Countryside Premium Scheme

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, by local authority area, how many applications were accepted into the Countryside Premium Scheme and how many were rejected in the last year.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is set out in the table below:

  


Local Authority 

  

  

Applications 

  Accepted

  

Applications 

  Rejected

  



Aberdeen 

  City Council

  

1

  

0

  



Aberdeenshire 

  Council

  

28

  

93

  



Angus Council

  

7

  

12

  



Argyll and 

  Bute Council

  

28

  

44

  



Clackmannanshire 

  Council

  

0

  

2

  



Dumfries 

  and Galloway

  

10

  

42

  



Dundee City

  

0

  

0

  



East Ayrshire

  

5

  

6

  



East Dunbartonshire

  

0

  

2

  



East Lothian 

  Council

  

4

  

5

  



East Renfrewshire

  

2

  

1

  



City of 

  Edinburgh Council

  

0

  

0

  



Falkirk 

  Council

  

0

  

0

  



Fife Council

  

10

  

29

  



City of 

  Glasgow

  

0

  

0

  



Highland 

  Council

  

43

  

79

  



Inverclyde

  

3

  

0

  



Midlothian

  

4

  

6

  



Moray Council

  

3

  

41

  



North Ayrshire 

  Council

  

4

  

6

  



North Lanarkshire

  

0

  

3

  



Perth and 

  Kinross

  

7

  

30

  



Renfrewshire 

  Council

  

5

  

2

  



Scottish 

  Borders Council

  

17

  

43

  



South Ayrshire 

  Council

  

0

  

8

  



South Lanarkshire 

  Council

  

21

  

13

  



Stirling

  

9

  

13

  



West Dunbartonshire 

  Council

  

0

  

1

  



West Lothian 

  Council

  

0

  

0

  



Orkney Islands 

  Council

  

11

  

13

  



Shetland 

  Islands Council

  

0

  

0

  



Western 

  Isles Council

  

2

  

6

  



  In addition, five applications were withdrawn.

Digital Television

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government on behalf of Scottish residents in areas such as Langholm in Dumfriesshire who are as yet unable to subscribe to BBC Digital.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport are aware that many areas served by low-power relays, such as Langholm, cannot as yet receive digital terrestrial television. They are in contact with the Scottish Executive and with the digital broadcasters about the next stage in the expansion of digital terrestrial TV.

Dog Fouling

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review legislation with regard to the offence of dog fouling and, in particular, whether any consideration is being given to bringing the provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 into line with the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, as introduced in England and Wales.

Mr Frank McAveety: We shall be considering this and other provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in the context of our plans for local government legislation generally.

Dog Fouling

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been prosecuted in respect of dog fouling offences in each of the past three years, broken down by region.

Mr Jim Wallace: The numbers of persons prosecuted under section 48 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in the last three years for which data are available are given in the following table, by police force area.

  Persons prosecuted for main offence under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, section 48

 Police Force Area   1996   1997   1998 Northern   -   -   - Grampian   -   -   - Tayside   1   8   30 Fife   -   -   - Lothian & Borders1   4   3   1 Central   1   -   1 Strathclyde   2   -   6 Dumfries & Galloway   1   2   - Total   5   10   37   

  Notes:

  1. Figures for Lothian & Borders cannot be separated from some other offences involving dogs, and are excluded from the total.

Dog Fouling

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of revenue support grant was allocated through the 2000-01 local government finance settlement to allow councils to tackle the problem of dog fouling.

Mr Frank McAveety: No specific funding is provided to councils to tackle dog fouling. It is a matter for local authorities themselves to allocate resources from within the total available to them.

Dog Fouling

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff are employed within each local authority with the specific remit of tackling dog fouling.

Mr Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally. It is a matter for individual local authorities to determine the number of staff required to carry out its various functions within the resources available to it.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund has been pledged towards projects aimed at changing youth attitudes regarding rape and violence against women.

Jackie Baillie: The following councils will be using all or part of their award for such projects:

  Falkirk - an Abuse Prevention Worker

  Glasgow - an Educational Resource Worker

  Inverclyde - a Zero Tolerance Development Worker

  North Ayrshire - preventative work in schools

  Renfrewshire - preventative work in schools

  A full list of the successful applications for funding from the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund was given in response to question S1W-5631.

Drug Misuse

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider directly funding community-based and voluntary sector drugs projects such as the Grampian Addiction Problem Service.

Angus MacKay: Scottish Executive policy and practice is that local groups should be supported locally. This allows for the operation of local democracy, and ensures local accountability and involvement. It is for the statutory agencies such as health boards and local authorities to develop and sustain drug misuse services according to local needs and priorities.

  I understand that the Aberdeenshire Council will be meeting on 17 April to discuss future funding support for the voluntary agencies. This will be followed by a meeting of the Aberdeenshire Drug Action Team on 19 April to consider the future role and funding of Grampian Addiction Problem Service within the overall pattern of service provision in the Aberdeenshire area.

Finance

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of all money received from Her Majesty’s Government under the Barnett Formula for specific purposes since 1 July 1999 and to detail the purpose of each allocation.

Mr Jack McConnell: The table below sets out the cases where Scotland has received additional resources from the UK Reserve since 1 July 1999. In each case the rules set out in the Statement on Funding Policy , published by HM Treasury on 31 March 1999, have been applied.

  


Programme

  

Reason

  

1999-2000 

  (£000)

  



Schools

  

Consequential 

  upon DFEE access to the Reserve for New Deal for Schools

  

4,330

  



Scottish 

  Courts Services, Crown Office and Police Services

  

Access to 

  UK Reserve for contribution to Lockerbie trial costs

  

26,440

  



Health

  

Consequential 

  upon DOH access to Reserve

  

13,857

  



Agriculture

  

Access to 

  UK reserve for additional funding for Hill Livestock Compensatory 

  Allowances Scheme

  

21,500

  



European 

  Funds

  

Draw forward 

  of structural funds

  

32,583

  



Law, Order 

  and Protective Services

  

Access to 

  the UK Reserve for "The Giving Age"

  

150

  



Enterprise 

  and Lifelong Learning Department

  

Access to 

  the UK Reserve for postponed sale of the Student loan book

  

120,800

  



  Note: The table excludes the in-year routine take-up of underspends from the previous financial year under the End-Year Flexibility arrangements.

Justice

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future operation of the Procurator Fiscal’s Office.

Colin Boyd QC: The Strategic Plan for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for 2000-03 is at an advanced stage of drafting and was considered by the Law Officers, Crown Office Senior Management and Regional Procurators Fiscal at a meeting on 22 March. The strategic aim of the department will continue to be to play a pivotal role in the achievement of the purpose of the criminal justice system of maintaining the security and confidence of the people of Scotland by providing just and effective means by which crimes may be investigated and offenders brought to justice. This aim is supported by particular objectives relating to the several aspects of the work of the department and by very detailed objectives and targets applying to all of the activities of the department. These include training and performance management, in which connection it should be noted that the department achieved Investors in People status in 1998 and is committed to the retention of that status. A new generation computer system is being put in place and the department is playing a leading role in the integration of Scottish criminal justice system information technology. Particular attention is being paid to issues relating to children in the criminal justice system, to victims, to drug offences and to the incorporation of ECHR.

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how private sector housing capital allocations will be affected when VAT refunds are no longer available.

Mr Jack McConnell: Support for the main local authority non-housing capital programmes, including private sector housing, is included within the single capital allocation. VAT is an issue for local authorities in administering improvement and repair grants for private sector housing. It is not an issue in the formula used to determine the single allocation.

  It is for individual authorities to determine how much of their single allocation they spend on grants for private sector housing.

NHS Funding

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the extra monies allocated to the NHS in Scotland as a result of the increased tobacco duty announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 2000-01 budget.

Susan Deacon: The extra monies allocated to the NHS in Scotland as a result of the increased tobacco duty will accrue to the Scottish Block at the earliest opportunity which will be the Summer Budget Amendment in June 2000.

NHS Funding

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the monies allocated to the NHS in Scotland as a result of the increased tobacco duty announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 2000-01 budget will be in addition to funds allocated through the Barnett formula.

Susan Deacon: The monies allocated to the NHS in Scotland as a result of the increased tobacco duty announced in the budget are included in Scotland’s Barnett formula share of the additional £2 billion being made available to the NHS in the UK.

Planning

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will identify all planning applications, notices of intention to develop, listed buildings applications and other such forms of application which have (a) been called in and are awaiting Public Inquiry and (b) been to Public Inquiry but which still await decision by Ministers, both as at 21 March 2000.

Sarah Boyack: The information sought is as follows:

  


Planning 

  Applications

  



(a) Awaiting 

  public local inquiry

  



Argyll and 

  Bute

  

Housing 

  and country park at Kilmahew Estate, Cardross

  



East Ayrshire

  

Conversion 

  of castle to hotel and leisure facilities at Rowallan Castle, 

  Kilmaurs

  



East Ayrshire

  

Motorway 

  Service Area at Kingswell, Fenwick (inquiry sisted at request 

  of developer)

  



East Ayrshire

  

Motorway 

  Service Area at Harelaw, Fenwick (inquiry sisted at request 

  of developer)

  



Highland

  

House at 

  Achnaluin, Morar

  



Inverclyde

  

Retail, 

  leisure, residential etc at former East Glen and Scott Lithgow 

  Yards, Port Glasgow

  



Midlothian

  

Biotechnology 

  Park at Gowkley Moss Farm, Milton Bridge, Penicuik

  



Midlothian

  

House at 

  Woodcot, Gowkley Moss, Milton Bridge, Penicuik

  



North Lanarkshire

  

Residential 

  development at Mount Ellen Golf Club, Gartcosh

  



North Lanarkshire

  

Residential 

  development at Torrance Park, Motherwell

  



Perth and 

  Kinross

  

Camping 

  and caravanning development at Balado, Kinross

  



South Ayrshire

  

Supermarket, 

  filling station, restaurant etc at Bridgefield, Girvan

  



South Ayrshire

  

Football 

  stadium (Ayr United) and retail development at Ayr

  



South Lanarkshire

  

Tennis and 

  fitness centre and associated sports facilities at Jackton (Inquiry 

  sisted - possible withdrawal)

  



West Lothian

  

Extension 

  to Freeport factory outlet centre at Westwood, West Calder

  



(b) Public 

  local inquiry complete and awaiting decision

  



Aberdeen

  

Industrial 

  development at Peterseat and Altens Farms, Aberdeen (report 

  not yet completed)

  



Argyll and 

  Bute

  

Information 

  centre at Clachan, Cairndow

  



Edinburgh

  

Extension 

  of shopping centre (2 applications) at Gyle, Edinburgh

  



Edinburgh

  

Underground 

  shopping mall at Princes Street, Edinburgh (report not yet completed)

  



Glasgow

  

Housing 

  development at former St Augustines Secondary School, Glasgow

  



Western 

  Isles

  

Proposed 

  superquarry at Lingerbay, Isle of Harris

  



  


Notices 

  of Intention to Develop

  



(a) Awaiting 

  public local inquiry

  



None

  




(b) Public 

  local inquiry complete and awaiting decision

  



East Dunbartonshire

  

Travelling 

  people site at Milngavie

  



North Ayrshire

  

Landfill 

  site at Bogside, Irvine

  



  


Listed Building 

  Consent Applications

  



(a) Awaiting 

  public local inquiry

  



Glasgow

  

105-107 

  West Regent Street, Glasgow (Category A Building)

  



(b) Public 

  local inquiry complete and awaiting decision

  



Moray

  

The Park, 

  The Wyndies, Garmouth (Category C(S) Building) (report not yet 

  completed)

  



  


Scheduled 

  Monument Consent Applications

  



(a) Awaiting 

  public local inquiry

  



Falkirk

  

Industrial 

  units at Lochlands, nr. Falkirk (impact on Roman camps)

  



Highland

  

Reconstruction 

  of Castle Tioram, Moidart

  



(b) Public 

  local inquiry complete and awaiting decision

  



None

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will seek an independent review of the Larkhall rail project.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to seek an independent review of the Larkhall to Milngavie rail route project, which is the responsibility of the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority as the public transport body for the area.

Roads

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunities remain for objections to be heard against Midlothian Council’s plan to re-route the A701 between Penicuik and Edinburgh.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no further locus. It is for the council to decide whether or not to consider any further representations.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a Route Action Plan for the A701 and, if so, whether it will publish details and place a copy of the plan in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sarah Boyack: There is no Route Action Plan for the A701 trunk road.

Rural Affairs

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4703 by Ross Finnie on 9 March 2000, whether projected workload was the sole criterion used and, if not, what other criteria were considered and what weighting was given to each criterion in the decision to place new posts in the Area Office network.

Ross Finnie: Projected workload was the sole criterion used.

Rural Affairs

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4703 by Ross Finnie on 9 March 2000, what weighting was given to geographical displacement of civil service posts in making the decision to place posts in the Area Office network.

Ross Finnie: Decisions on where to place posts in the Area Office network have been based entirely on projected workloads, which have shown a requirement for new staff in offices throughout most of Scotland.

Rural Affairs

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rural partnerships are currently operational in Scotland, and in which local authority areas they are based.

Ross Finnie: 35 Rural Partnerships registered with the Scottish Executive are operational. 32 of these partnerships are based in a unitary local authority area. The remaining three partnerships serve more than one local authority area. Details of the former are in Table A (by local authority), and the latter (by partnership) in Table B below.

  Table A

  


Local Authority

  

Partnership

  



Aberdeenshire

  

Birse Community 

  Trust
Formartine 

  Area Partnership
Foveran 

  Partnership
Huntly Ltd
Kincardine 

  and Mearns Area Partnership
Marr Area 

  Partnership
Portsoy 

  and District Ltd

  



Angus

  

Angus Rural 

  Partnership

  



Argyll and 

  Bute

  

Argyll and 

  Bute Partnership
Islay Sustainable 

  Development Company
Isle of 

  Jura Development Trust

  



Dumfries 

  and Galloway

  

Luce 2000

  



East Ayrshire

  

Doon Valley 

  Local Rural Partnership
Irvine Valley 

  Local Regeneration Partnership

  



Fife

  

Fife Rural 

  Partnership

  



Highland

  

Caithness 

  Economic Partnership
Highland 

  Primary and Community Care Locality Planning
Laggan Community 

  Partnership
Loch Ewe 

  Action Forum
Rural Inverness 

  and Nairn Partnership
Sutherland 

  Partnership

  



Perth and 

  Kinross

  

Crieff and 

  West Strathearn Initiative
Highland 

  Perthshire Communities Partnership
Perth and 

  Kinross Local Rural Partnership

  



Scottish 

  Borders

  

Scottish 

  Borders Rural Partnership

  



South Lanarkshire

  

South Lanarkshire 

  Local Rural Partnership

  



Stirling

  

Rural Stirling 

  Partnership

  



Shetland 

  Islands

  

Shetland 

  Islands Partnership

  



Western 

  Isles

  

Harris Development 

  Ltd
Iomairt 

  Nis
Uist 2000

  



  Table B

  


Partnership

  

Local 

  Authority

  



Moray Firth 

  Partnership

  

Moray, Highland

  



Not for 

  Profit Landowners Project Group

  

Highland, 

  Western Isles (and other parts of Scotland)

  



Out of School 

  Federation

  

Argyll and 

  Bute, Highland, Western Isles

Rural Affairs

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to outline the sources of funding for local rural partnerships and the length of time for which these commitments will be guaranteed.

Ross Finnie: Funding of local Rural Partnerships is met from the Executive’s Rural Strategic Support Fund, part of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund. Grants are limited to the minimum needed for the partnership to succeed, subject to a maximum of £40,000 in Year 1. Executive support is for up to three years only, staged degressively to encourage an exit strategy by the organisation concerned.

Schools

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary schools are currently located on split sites.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive,  further to the answer to question S1W-3535 by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2000, what guidance and directions it proposes to give to local authorities and transport operators regarding joint ticketing and pricing initiatives in the light of recent Office of Fair Trading decisions on such initiatives.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive expect that the implementation of joint ticketing and pricing initiatives will be driven by the commercial acumen of operators and transport strategies of local authorities. Such arrangements should have regard to competition legislation and where necessary guidance should be sought from the competition authorities. Beyond this the Executive will consider the nature and extent of any guidance which may be required to encourage the take up of our proposals for buses in the forthcoming Transport Bill.